Lake Balaton

In summer, while in most countries the citizens head out toward the nearest sea, being landlocked folk, many Hungarians head in toward what is interchangeably described as Central Europe’s largest lake and Hungary’s little sea, Lake Balaton.

A little over 100km south east of Budapest and 77km in length, Balaton is well worth the hour and a half journey by car or train and offers most of what you might expect from a seaside resort, without the mouthful of salty water. Its popularity was boost by the former regime as, under communism, international travel was greatly restricted. It also became a popular destination for Germans as this was one of the few places where friends and families divided by the iron curtain were able to meet.